Pro Cyclist and WCA President, Robin Farina will join other pros and avid cyclists for the first ever All-Female Trois Etapes Tour de France Team

Winston-Salem, NC – For Release July 11, 2014 – The Women’s Cycling Association (WCA) is joining forces with World Bicycle Relief (WBR) to create the first ever all-female team to take on the Trois Etapes Tour de France, with a goal to raise funds to mobilize women in rural Africa and promote women’s cycling around the world. On August 7-10, Pro Cyclist and WCA President, Robin Farina, will join a team of women pros as well as avid cyclists to tackle some of the most grueling climbs of the Grand Tour in the French Pyrenees.

The all-female team will be led by Evelyn Stevens of Specialized-lululemon and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio of Hitec Products. Other team members include:
• Chrissie Wellington, Four-time Ironman World Champion, legend in the endurance world, and a key player for Le Tour Entier and La Course;
• Robin Farina, Professional cyclist and President of the Women’s Cycling Association, a nonprofit that advocates for the development of women’s cycling equitably and sustainably;
• Jill Gass, Coach at B9T9, a women’s cycling team from Santa Barbara, CA;
• Vicki Ford, Endurance triathlete and cyclist from Austin, TX;
• Heidi Wood, Elite cyclo-cross racer and avid road cyclist from Seattle, WA;
• Sarah Boddington, Avid road cyclist from Surrey, UK (that’s me!); and
• April Marshke, Specialized Women’s Business Manager in Europe.

The team aims to raise funds to mobilize women and girl students in rural Africa through WBR’s programming, grow women’s cycling by being the first-ever all-female team at the event, create change through the Power of Bicycles and promote the advancement of women’s cycling around the world. For $134, the WBR can provide a bike to an individual in need. According to World Bike Relief, when you give a child a bike student attendance increases by up to 28% and grades increase by 59%. Healthcare workers reach 40% patients more often and entrepreneurs travel 4X further, carrying 5X more goods and increasing profits by up to 50%. Donations can be made by visiting the team page at: http://fundraise.worldbicyclerelief.org/troisetapesallfemaleteam. The funds raised will provide specially-designed, locally-assembled bicycles to students, healthcare workers and entrepreneurs in rural Africa, with a special focus on connecting women and girls with education, healthcare and economic opportunities.

The WCA is a coalition of cyclists, across the globe, which supports the advancement and success of Women’s Cycling on both sporting and business levels. The WCA continues to work with cycling industry companies and other organizations, worldwide, as well as media to grow the sport of cycling and ensure sustainability in women’s cycling for the future. For more information and to join the WCA, log onto https://womenscyclingassociation.com/, follow the WCA on twitter @wca_tweet, or “like” the organization on Facebook at – Women’s Cycling Association.